With police out in full force tackling impaired driving over the holiday period, those in Halifax have a new option for getting home safely.
On Dec. 16, the rideshare service Lyft officially launched in Halifax.
Lyft was founded in 2012 in the United States and has since expanded into Canada. With the Halifax launch, and future launches in Regina and Saskatoon, the rideshare service will be operating in more than 20 Canadian cities.
The launch of new markets comes after the company experienced a 50 per cent jump in rides year-over-year in the first quarter of 2025 in Canada.
“We’re thrilled to bring the option of Lyft to Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan, helping us connect even more Canadians across the country,” Jeremy Bird, EVP of Global Growth at Lyft, said in a press release. “Canada is a key market for us as we expand our international footprint, with rides growing 23% year-over-year this past summer.”
Rideshares in Halifax
Uber officially launched its Halifax market in Dec. 2020 and has operated without a relative competitor since.
Uber launched following a decision from council earlier that year that would allow rideshare services, providing a competitor to taxi services.
As the use of ridesharing increases, some have argued that these companies should be subject to greater scrutiny.
A staff report presented to Halifax regional council on Dec. 9 recommended requirements for Uber drivers and other rideshare services be brought in line with those covering all taxi drivers.
Taxi drivers are required to send the municipality results from driver training and background checks including criminal records and child abuse allegations. Ridesharing drivers are subject to the same checks, but oversight is currently provided by the companies, not the municipality, the report says.
Keerthana Rang, head of Uber’s corporate communications in Canada said the municipality has the authority to get sensitive documents for drivers to determine if they are complying with applicable laws, if they wish.
The staff report also included results from an online survey where there were strong opinions on both sides of the debate.
Many believe that rideshare services should be matched with scrutiny from the municipality while others suggest regulations for taxi drivers should be laxed.
– With files from Michael MacDonald, The Canadian Press